Slow Cooked Sweet Sausage and Tomato Sauce

Cool Sunday afternoons are simply made for slow cooked meals, don't you agree?  The weather is getting a bit cooler here lately and our schedule is starting to get a little bit lighter, so now I'm hoping to have some time each weekend to spend at home making some comfort food.

 

In my last post, where I shared the Roasted Pancetta and Herbed Butter Crostini, I mentioned a cooking class I took recently.  This class focused on different braising techniques, which are perfect for the upcoming cold weather months. 

 

Both my friend and I have already made the Sweet Sausage and Tomato Sauce since taking the class - with excellent results!  I love when I take a cooking class and can come home and recreate a delicious meal that I learned about in class.


What I have learned from classes and various cooking demos is that nearly any braise is going to start with a basic mirepoix, a flavorful mix of carrots, celery, onions and herbs.  Knowing that My Husband is not a huge fan of cooked carrots, I have had a tendency to avoid adding them.  This time, I went ahead and diced them up and tossed them in... I knew that this sauce would be fabulous when it was done and that the carrots would not be something that anyone would feel the need to "eat around".

The original recipe was for a spicy sausage, but in an effort to make the meal something My Boys would eat, I have adapted the recipe so that it is not spicy.  If you are into some heat, use spicy sausage and toss in some red pepper flakes to amp up the heat to your liking.

The sauce will cook at a simmer for about an hour.  While it is doing its magic on the stove, you can choose to make a fabulous dessert (I'll be sharing a Nutella Gelato very soon!) or just kick up your feet and catch up on reading the cooking magazines that have piled up!

I enjoyed the leftovers reheated for lunch and made everyone at work jealous with my homemade pasta and sauce! 

I haven't participated in Presto Pasta Nights in quite awhile, but with this recipe I just can't resist submitting it to Food Hunter's Guide this week.  Check out the round-up on Friday, October 28th.

Sweet Sausage and Tomato Sauce
Adapted from a recipe by Diana Albanese

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 3 tablespoons celery, diced
• 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup brown chicken stock - I used the Knorr concentrated chicken stock
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

 Directions
In a large Dutch oven, add oil and set heat to medium.  Add crumbled sausage to the heated oil and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
Add onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook until all are softened.  Stir in garlic - do not cook more than a minute.
Add wine and increase the temperature to high.  Allow to come to a boil and reduce mixture by half.  Add in the stock, tomatoes and rosemary.
Chop the cooled sausage so that it is all uniform and small pieces.  Add sausage to the tomato mixture and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour. 
Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.  Discard rosemary prior to serving.  Sprinkle with parsley.

  

 

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.